Chicken Tortilla Soup

Quick description:
Hearty, flavorful soup that's perfect for cold weather. Add some bread and salad, and you have dinner! I wish it were cold enough in Austin to cook it now, but I doubt I'll make this till November. Warning: if you dislike tomatoes, this is not the best soup for you. If you enjoy them, though, you should love it. Recipe came from my aunt.

Ingredients:
6 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
8 corn tortillas, chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium onion, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 large or 3 medium chicken breasts, shredded or cubed (cooked)
Toppings (your choice--all are tasty!): avocado, jack cheese, and/or sour cream

Directions:
*Cook the chicken before you begin. I just boil it. You can just boil constantly it till it's cooked through. If you have more time, bring water to a boil, add chicken, then turn heat to low and cover to simmer till it's done (hour, give or take). The latter method makes for more tender chicken.
*Heat oil in large soup pot over medium
*Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion.
*Saute 5-6 min.
Stir in tomatoes, bring to boil
*Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock
*Return to boil and reduce heat to low
*Add salt & pepper
*Simmer, covered, 30 minutes
*Remove bay leaves
*Stir in chicken
*Reheat a few minutes
*Serve with your choice of tasty toppings!